What is in a Name? Part 3: "The Great"

“The Great,” my favorite watch, is the reason I saved it for last in our three part series “What’s in a Name.” And no, the inspiration for this watch did not come from my time as a Navy SEAL or from a hard lesson learned in the ocean. The story is simpler, but I still think it carries a lesson worth sharing with my sons and anyone who loves timepieces and the stories behind them.

As I admitted in an earlier post, “I Have an Addiction,” I have a watch addiction. It runs deep and has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. In fact, it makes the top three list of things people know about me. Number one, my initials spell BAD. Number two, I love being a father. Number three, I am completely addicted to watches.

That obsession started when I was in grade school, sometime around kindergarten or first grade. For my birthday, a friend gave me my very first watch. It was a neon colored digital Freestyle Shark, and every part of it looked like it was pulled from a paint set. The strap was electric blue with the logo stitched on the side. The case was bright pink with mismatched buttons. The bezel was neon green and secured with four screws. The bezel is what I remember most, probably because I spent so much time staring at it. The strap had a black plastic clip that never quite fit my wrist, but I did not care. To me, it was perfect. I wore that watch proudly, and I never wanted to take it off.

Of course, nylon straps wear down, and mine eventually frayed. But by then the damage was already done. That watch sparked a lifelong passion. By high school, I was selling watches at Dillard’s during the summer. My family used to joke that if you were ever stuck on what to get me for a holiday or birthday, the answer was obvious. Get me a watch.

The friend who gave me that first watch was Blake Alexander, a name that still means something to me decades later. I still keep in touch with him today. “The Great” is both a tribute to him and a nod to Alexander the Great.

It is funny how something as small as a childhood gift can set a whole path in motion. If Blake had not handed me that neon green Freestyle Shark thirty four years ago, maybe Declan James Watch Co would not even exist. “The Great” was designed as a reminder of authenticity, of the friendships that carry us through life, and of the gratitude we owe to the people who help shape our stories. It honors the past, it respects the present, and it looks ahead to the future.

With its timeless design and distinctive crown, The Great pays homage to classic watches while still carrying modern detail. More than a timepiece, it is a symbol of loyalty, gratitude, and the kind of friendships that stand the test of time.

I hope you enjoyed our three part series “What’s in a Name” and discovered a little more about Declan James Watch Co. Thank you for walking this path with us. And as always, we are here to share in your watch addiction, right alongside mine.